Laurie Fitch
Director at CNP
Board
About Laurie L. Fitch
Laurie L. Fitch (age 55) is an independent director nominee at CenterPoint Energy and a Senior Advisor at PJT Partners with 25+ years in institutional investing and investment banking focused on corporate finance and utilities. She holds an M.A. from Georgetown University and a B.A. from American University; she has served on public company and non-profit audit committees and currently sits on boards including Man Group plc and EDP Renováveis, S.A. . She is a first-time nominee to the CNP Board (tenure 0 years as of the proxy) with stated strengths in finance, utility industry strategy, and energy transition oversight .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| PJT Partners | Senior Advisor; formerly Partner, Strategic Advisory | 2024–Present; Partner 2016–2023 | Capital markets and strategic advisory experience for financing CenterPoint’s long-term capex plan |
| Morgan Stanley & Co. | Managing Director, Co-Head Global Industrials | 2012–2016 | Corporate finance and transactions expertise applicable to utility financing needs |
| Artisan Partners LP | Senior Analyst and Partner, International Growth | 2006–2011 | Institutional equity investing background enhances shareholder perspective |
| TIAA-CREF | Managing Director, Director of International Research | 2002–2006 | Research and portfolio management discipline for oversight |
| Schroder & Co./UBS | Associate Analyst, Equity Research | 1999–2002 | Equity research foundation |
| The Bank of New York | VP, Middle East & Africa Division | 1994–1999 | International finance background |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Man Group plc | Director | 2023–Present | Public company governance and audit committee experience |
| EDP Renováveis, S.A. | Director | 2024–Present | Energy transition and renewables governance |
| EDP, S.A. | Director (past) | 2018–2024 | Global integrated utility board experience |
| EnQuest plc | Director (past) | 2018–2021 | Public company governance |
| The American University in Cairo | Trustee | 2019–Present | Non-profit oversight |
| Tate Board of Trustees Audit Subcommittee (UK) | Member | 2015–Present | Audit oversight experience |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined Fitch is independent under NYSE listing standards and CNP categorical standards .
- Committee assignments: Not yet assigned; CNP will publish committee membership after the Annual Meeting if she is elected .
- Attendance: 2024 Board met 13 times; each incumbent director attended >75% of meetings. Fitch was not a director in 2024, so attendance not applicable .
- Board structure: Independent Chair model; regular executive sessions of independent directors; robust risk oversight with Audit, Human Capital & Compensation, Governance, and Safety & Operations committees .
- Director nomination: Fitch identified via third-party search; nominated in 2025 as part of Board refresh .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Policy/Amount | Structure |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (Non-employee director) | $125,000 | Paid quarterly in arrears; no meeting fees |
| Committee chair supplemental retainers | Audit: $20,000; Human Capital & Compensation: $20,000; Governance: $15,000; Safety & Operations: $15,000 | Annual supplemental cash |
| Independent Chair supplemental retainer | $185,000 | Additional cash for Board leadership |
| Annual equity grant (Outside Directors Stock Plan) | Cash value $170,000; 5,798 shares at $29.32 on May 1, 2024 (for directors then in office) | Immediately vested common stock; no meeting fees; no options |
| Initial equity grant (one-time) | Discretionary; example: Seavers received $56,357 grant for 1,790 shares on Jan 2, 2025 | Immediately vested; granted upon first commencing service |
- Ownership guidelines: Each non-employee director must hold CNP stock equal to ≥5× the regular annual cash retainer; compliance required within five years of joining the Board .
- Deferred compensation: Plan frozen as of Jan 1, 2023; prior deferrals accrue interest at Moody’s LT Corporate Bond Index average yield + 2% .
- Matching gifts: Easy Match Program up to $50,000 per year .
Performance Compensation
| Element | Metrics | Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Director equity awards | None; awards are immediately vested common stock without performance conditions | No performance metrics; grants align director incentives via ownership |
No performance-conditioned metrics are disclosed for non-employee director compensation; equity grants vest immediately and are not subject to TSR/EPS hurdles .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Sector | Potential Interlock/Conflict with CNP |
|---|---|---|
| EDP Renováveis, S.A. | Renewables | No related-party transactions reported by CNP in 2024; independence affirmed |
| Man Group plc | Asset Management | No related-party transactions reported by CNP in 2024; independence affirmed |
| EDP, S.A. (past) | Utilities | Prior board role; no CNP related-party transactions in 2024 |
- The proxy highlights Fitch’s audit committee experience and utility/energy transition expertise; no specific interlocks with CNP’s suppliers/customers are disclosed, and the Board’s independence review found her independent .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Finance and accounting: Extensive corporate finance, capital markets, debt/equity financing, and public board audit committee experience—important for overseeing CNP’s significant resiliency and grid modernization investments and financing .
- Utility industry: Advising utilities and prior global utility board service (EDP, EDPR) directly relevant to CNP’s 10-year capital plan .
- Energy transition: EDPR board role offers insight into low-GHG generation transition oversight .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned (as of Feb 28, 2025) | % Outstanding |
|---|---|---|
| Laurie L. Fitch | None reported (“—”) | <1% |
- Anti-hedging/anti-pledging: CNP prohibits hedging and pledging of company securities by directors and employees .
- Ownership guidelines apply: Fitch must reach at least 5× annual cash retainer ownership within five years if elected .
Governance Assessment
- Independence and conflicts: Fitch determined independent; CNP reported no related-party transactions in 2024, and Governance Committee oversees conflicts under formal policies—reducing conflict risk .
- Alignment: Current beneficial ownership shows none reported; ownership guidelines and annual equity grants support alignment over time if elected .
- Board effectiveness: Qualifications align with CNP’s priorities—financing a large capex plan, utility operations oversight, and energy transition; committee placement will be set post-election .
- Investor confidence signals: 2024 say-on-pay approval ~93.4% indicates strong shareholder support for compensation governance broadly; annual shareholder engagement program emphasizes governance and strategy discussions .
- Watch items: As a Senior Advisor at PJT Partners, any future banking or advisory engagements with CNP should be monitored under related-party policies; none disclosed for 2024 .
Overall, Fitch’s finance and utility-transition background is additive for CNP’s capital-intensive resiliency agenda. Key monitoring items for investors include her eventual committee assignments, progress toward stock ownership guidelines, and any advisory relationships that may require Governance Committee review to maintain independence .